UnREAL found its signature tone by combining eerie realism with heavy satire and throwing in bits of comedic relief.
This show may be considered as a form of “competence porn,” where viewers enjoy watching extremely talented characters do their jobs with grace and skill, no matter how bad their lives get.
UnREAL is the epitome of this, and the comedy usually serves to either highlight the wit of lead characters or the dimwittedness of other characters, creating caricatures out of them to depict the insanity of the entertainment industry.
A show may revel in how gritty it is, but there’s really nothing better than humor. Read on to learn about the top 13 comedic gags on this iconic show and watch UnREAL online to see some of them again!
Quinn’s Retorts
Quinn King is the master of savage clapbacks, and she’s not afraid to show it. UnREAL highlights her wit and wordplay skill when she yells at subordinates, Everlasting staff, and everyone in between. She’s always got some new insult up her sleeve, and it’s usually raunchy and incredibly clever, exerting her power on set and making her look great while she does it.
Graham
Graham is in virtually every episode, yet his character mostly exists for comedic effect. As the host of Everlasting, he contributes snarky comments about his job and serves as Quinn’s personal punching bag when she calls him out on almost every move he makes. He’s smooth-talking and often a little obnoxious, but it’s a joy to watch him onscreen, even if it’s only for a few seconds each episode.
Madison
Madison her her glow-up through the course of UnREAL, going from two-braided nerdy, dorky Madison to flaunting-her-curves Madison, not afraid to use her sexuality to get where she wants to go. Nevertheless, she’s often the butt of the joke because of her youth and her naivety, which Rachel, Quinn, and the rest of the producers exploit for their amusement. It’s always a good episode when Madison can’t bring herself to say something mildly inappropriate or even remotely PG-13.
Chet
Unlike his sassy counterpart Quinn, Chet is the epitome of confused, clueless white male privilege but still gets the audience to empathize with him. He’s nowhere near as capable as Quinn and much of his comedic value comes from his bumbling talk or not understanding what’s going on. His ridiculous ideas have to constantly be corrected by female characters who are clearly smarter than him, but that makes it all the more humorous.
Gary
Gary is a terrible person, which makes him a great target for comedy. As the head of the network, he’s hypothetically in control, but Quinn’s abilities and intelligence so outweigh him that her antics eventually force Gary into a tight corner for good. Throughout the show, Quinn’s calm, to-the-point attitude constantly gets Gary worked up, and his freak-outs are always worth watching.
Crystal
As Chet’s sidepiece, Crystal is the naive girlfriend of Chet. However, she’s constantly sidelined by the much more impressive Quinn, who doesn’t think much of Crystal. Crystal’s own version of naivety rivals Madison, but her inquiries are often even more amusing than Madison’s, paired with Chet’s unhelpful responses and constant nagging at Quinn. Her final moments during Season 3 when Rachel convinces her to propose to Chet in a wedding dress are simultaneously some of the most tragic and hysterical on the show.
Zach
Social media star Zach Taylor may not get that much screen time, but his appearances are noteworthy. He’s always clueless on set and is very out of the loop with the other contestants in Season 3, which is why it’s shocking that he stays on so long. He’s charming in a Gen Z kind of way, considering that he’s always obsessed with the fact that he’s a social media star more so than actually trying to charm Serena. Nevertheless, he’s good-intentioned, which makes his comedic value more sweet than laughable.
Dan
Dan constantly reiterates his fear of Rachel, whom he regards as the scariest person he’s ever met. He’s a relatively proficient member of the Everlasting crew, but he’s intimidated by both Rachel and Quinn and never lives up to their standards. He doesn’t fumble as much as Chet, but the realization that Dan is actually married is the payoff of several seasons’ worth of fantastic comedic buildup.
Hot Rachel
Yael isn’t so much a comedic gag as Rachel’s reaction to Yael being dubbed “Hot Rachel.” In a way, the resemblance is noticeable, which makes the nickname all the more amusing and the fact that it became a term used by the Everlasting team all the more hysterical. Rachel acts like she doesn’t care, but it clearly bothers her and beecomes a great Season 2 throw-in.
Jay’s Retorts
Undervalued producer Jay is the source of comedy throughout much of UnREAL, but it isn’t the character himself who’s the joke. Although Jay isn’t as prized as Rachel, he’s certainly talented and makes sure that he throws Madison under the bus as much as he can and tosses in his fair share of one-liners and phrases that would make Quinn jealous. Jay’s got wit and style, and he contributes plenty of comedic value to the show.
Chet’s Wife and Kid
Chet’s affair with Quinn is well-documented, but it’s the byproduct of his affair that’s probably the best part. Chet’s wife, Cynthia, is scheming and very unhappy with Chet’s behavior, and she takes custody of his child. However, once she reappears with their son, it becomes a complete disaster as nobody has any idea what to deal with his kid, and she becomes a great source of comedy as both Quinn and Chet attempt to avoid her at all costs.
Candy Coco
Candy, a last-minute Everlasting contestant addition during Season 4, has her fair share of comedic moments due to her status as a single mom and Miami stripper. Her complete aura lends itself to plenty of UnREAL jokes, mostly thanks to Quinn and Rachel, but her feminist behavior also turns somewhat comedic because she’s prone to outbursts as she stands up for what she believes in.
Any Contestant Fight
UnREAL is filled with carefully crafted moments of verbal and physical violence, from contestant spats over gossip to full-on physical fights. It’s crude, it’s extra, it’s violent–and it’s all part of the fun. Any time a group of contestants (for many seasons, female contestants) break out into catfights or name-calling, you might feel a pang of guilty pleasure over enjoying watching them. However, the comedy is shared by the Everlasting producers, and it becomes somewhat of a ridiculous moment as you realize it’s all crafted for the screen.
